She hesitated to tell him all of the reasons she disliked the girl, so she just shrugged. “I just find it hard to be nice to her, and I’m a nice person.”
“Yeah, well, some people suck the nice right out of you.”
“How do you know Ashley?”
“For about five minutes, I thought about fucking her. Thankfully, I had the good sense to drown that kitten in the river.”
That brought a smile to Jessie’s face. “Well, thank you for this. I needed it.”
“I could tell.”
“Now what?”
He nodded toward the targets. “Now you practice until it comes natural and easy. Never know when trouble might come callin’, sweet cheeks. And you need to be able to defend yourself.”
And then she knew he must have heard her story and knew all about the danger she was in. And she wondered if the reason he’d brought her out here had less to do with Ashley and stress relief, and more to do with the trouble that followed her. And that said
a lot about the man. That he cared enough to take his time with her like this, preparing her like he was.
“Why are you being nice to me?” she blurted, before she could stop the words.
He studied her a long moment, and then began reloading his gun. “Let me put it to you this way. I’ll try being nicer, if you try being smarter.”
She frowned. “Smarter? What do you mean?”
His eyes met hers.
“Look, I know Ghost. He’s a good guy. And for reasons I haven’t figured out yet, unless it’s your sweet ass, he’s taken on your shit. All of it. And from what I hear, it’s a lot.”
Jessie swallowed. She couldn’t deny it, any of it.
Blood continued.
“He’s taken your back. That means something. You need to trust he’s got this. That he isn’t going to let anything happen to you. So, I guess what I’m saying is, wise up and quit giving him grief. Deal?”
She looked off at the horizon, contemplating his words. They were true. Everything he said was true. So she did the only thing she could do. She nodded. “Deal.”
He handed her back the gun, his chin lifting toward the targets. “Have at it, Annie Oakley.”
She grinned and took aim.
An hour later, they pulled back up at the clubhouse. Blood led her through the common room, catching the eye of Boo, who was behind the bar, mopping. His mouth dropped open when he saw she wasn’t still in the room that he and everyone else knew she was supposed to be locked in. But apparently he knew better than to question a full-patched member, so his mouth clamped shut.
Blood led her down the hall and deposited her in the room, sitting her down on the bed. He reached for the handcuff still hanging from the bedpost and held out his hand, waggling two fingers for her to lift her wrist.
“Please, Blood. Don’t handcuff me. I promise I won’t go anywhere.”
“I know it. ‘Cause you’ll be cuffed to the bed.”
“Blood, please, don’t.”
“Stop whining. I’d hate to leave duct tape marks on your face, but I will.”
She thought he was joking, but with Blood, she couldn’t be sure. She didn’t know what his limits were, and she didn’t want to cross them. So she lifted her hand, holding it out to him.
“Good girl.” He clamped the handcuff around her wrist. Then ruffled the top of her head and headed for the door.
“Blood.”